Leeds City Council's Waste Strategy includes targets for achieving recycling levels in excess of 50% of household waste by 2020. However, achievement of this target will still leave an estimated 180,000 tonnes of non-recycled (or residual) waste for processing.
With agreement on the need to reduce landfill, there is a requirement for the development of a treatment technology solution. The Executive Board has agreed an Integrated Waste Strategy for Leeds (2005 – 2035) which outlines the Council’s aims to reduce waste generation, reuse waste, increase recycling, recover value from non-recycled waste and significantly reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, with an eventual aspiration to send zero waste to landfill. The Council has approved the Outline Business Case (OBC) and secured £68.6m of PFI funding towards the Project which has no preferred technological solution. Contract close is anticipated in April 2011 with full service commencement programmed for April 2014.
The contract is anticipated to continue for a further 25 years under the management of the contractor with the plant anticipated to come into the ownership and control of the Council at the end of the contract in 2039 if it is constructed on land owned by the City Council. The Council remains neutral on the site of the plant and awaits proposals.
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